-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She 's the daughter of a Beatle , fashion designer of everyone from Madonna to the British Olympic team , recipient of a medal from Queen Elizabeth , and counts Kate Moss among her friends .

From all appearances , Stella McCartney 's life has been a charmed one -- not that she necessarily sees it that way .

Fame has followed the second child of Paul McCartney and American photographer wife Linda from the moment she was born .

And it 's been both a blessing and a hindrance .

As McCartney was awarded this year 's prestigious Women 's Leadership Award from the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund , CNN spoke to the mother-of-four about sustainability in a notoriously `` unaccountable '' fashion industry .

Parents ' influence

CNN : You had very famous role models -- do you think that helped you , or do you think that was actually a hurdle ?

McCartney : It certainly opened a lot of doors and certainly closed some minds . So I think there was a balance .

CNN : What do you think was the biggest inspiration you got from your mother , Linda McCartney ?

M : I learned a lot from her ethics . Both my mum and dad -LSB- former Beatle , Paul McCartney -RSB- are known to be vegetarians , world rights activists and environmentalists , and that definitely came into my place of work .

Once you have children it adds another layer of responsibility to what you 're doing . You have to be a role model to them so it makes you question your actions -- in a good way .

Biggest Challenge

CNN : What is the biggest challenge you 've encountered getting where you are now ?

M : Early on , when I wanted to go back to London and start my own fashion house , a very well thought-of executive in the industry said to me : `` Name one female designer that 's come from Great Britain that has had any kind of global success . ''

I wanted to prove him wrong . Obviously there have been great women from Britain in design , but actually there are fewer than I thought . So that was a bit of a hurdle for me .

From day one I 've never worked with leather or fur . I do n't work with PVC , and I 'm very conscious in the sourcing and manufacturing of fashion . That 's a hurdle , that 's a challenge , but it 's a worthwhile one .

CNN : Do you feel a lot of pressure from the industry because you chose to go down the `` sustainable fashion '' road ?

M : It 's been difficult , it continues to be difficult , but I 'm OK with difficult , it 's what keeps me on my toes . I 've had people say to me : `` You 'll never sell handbags , you do n't work with leather and leather is luxury . ''

To me it 's the complete opposite , leather is everywhere , it 's so cheap a material , it 's so mass produced . Over 50 million animals a year are killed just for fashion . For me it does n't have a luxury element to it .

CNN : So you 're comfortable flipping that notion on its head , that leather is luxury ?

M : Lots of things have been around for a long time , that does n't mean they have to stick around forever . When you 're in design it 's your job is to change , to push , to modernize .

The fashion industry , is not really as accountable for some reason . We 're not expected to have to answer to the fact that it 's not sustainable to kill that many animals for shoes and bags . And it 's not necessary ! Ninety percent of the people who come to my stores have no idea I do n't work with leather .

Being told no

CNN : You get very steely when you talk about people telling you you ca n't do something .

M : Does n't everyone , who likes being told they ca n't do something ? Anyone can do anything they want , if they really want it .

I 'm not going to pretend I did n't come from a privileged starting point . I 'll always admit that it was easier for me to question people telling me I could n't do something because I had a pretty nice place to fall back on . So maybe that afforded me a little more spark and fight .

I 'm learning as I get older , that you do n't have to try to fight everything from a man 's place . I guess I got here for a reason , it was n't because I was a woman .

More : Bobbi Brown 's billion-dollar idea

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McCartney talks about the influence of her famous parents on her fashion career

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Says she does n't see leather as luxury , as it 's mass produced

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Wins prestigious Women 's Leadership Award from Lincoln Center Corporate Fund

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Believes it 's not sustainable to kill so many animals for shoes and handbags